A Menagerie of Imagination
by ironbiohazard03
Summary: While many people remember Willy Wonka's factory of pure imagination and livelihood, something twisted turns this factory into a pure nightmare. Four brave souls are willing to put their life on the line to stop a madwoman's plans.
1. Chapter 1

**Ever since as a child, I've been a huge fan of the Willy Wonka movies (I kinda like the CHarlie movie a little bit, but only for some of the visuals) and when you get down to how the movie presents itself, it's pretty horrific. The kind go through torture in Wonka's "magical factory" like some sort of Dante's Inferno and I have always wanted to write a horror version of a childhood favorite.**

 **Most of the story takes inspiration from the original movie and VERY FEW aspects from the new movie.**

 **Hopefully you guys will enjoy it! ^w^**

* * *

Willy Wonka, the name everyone knew growing up as a child. The candy and desserts that crazy man offered to the entire world, he was able to find a connection within everybody. Five kids were chosen by almost random chance, each of those kids had the opportunity of a lifetime to own a factory and create something marvelous. Pure imagination was right at their grasp, the scale and size of the factory was just immaculate. The candy room was something they all remembered greatly; the walls and ceilings were caked in sweets.

However, a few of them in their early years had to learn a lesson about manners. Gluttony, pride, greed, and envy, those four kids learned those lessons the hard way. Not too many people would like to say a piece of gum changed their body or they were sucked up a chocolate pipe to be turned into fudge.

Charlie Bucket on the other hand, was kind, pure through and through. He cared more about his family trying to find a better place, even if he had won, it wouldn't have mattered. The experience he witnessed was more valuable than he could ever ask for.

For almost a decade, the factory flourished more than ever. Sales skyrocketed and the public was very pleased with the products that were coming out. It seemed every couple of months, new candies were being beta tested and they were thrilled to hear feedback from the public. From candy eggs with the most filling jam packed into them to lollipops that changed flavor with every lick, adults and kids were gobbling them up. The Gobstoppers by that time were finally sold to the public, countless testing was done by Charlie and Wonka combined. They didn't want to disappoint the public.

Those two worked in the factory hard every day, even Charlie's family did too. His grandparents took a majority of the phone calls that would come through and his mom would be the secretary and gave tours every now and then. Everyone, from kids to adults, was ecstatic to go on the tours; they could finally see what the factory was like. For years, Wonka was so afraid to show the world what he could do, but because of Charlie, he instilled confidence that everyone is not a thief. New security systems were put in place and the tour itself was a condensed version than what Charlie went through. Even Charlie and Wonka didn't want to show _everything_ from the factory, what would be the point of having secrets?

The press and paparazzi were going crazy, Wonka's named was plastered everywhere. It seemed like nothing could stop the powerhouse of Wonka and Charlie. Charlie played off of Wonka's zaniness and Wonka played off of Charlie's structured nature.

However, around the summer time, where the request for stock was at an all-time high, the factory just seemed to stop. For months on end, people were questioning why the business came to a grinding halt and no clear answers came through. People were starting to speculate if either Wonka or Charlie jumped ship, but even friends of Charlie said he's not the kind of man to just abandon everything. Except, one letter was sent from the factory, with no name was sent to the presses and it read:

 _For those who are concerned about the state of the Wonka and Bucket Factory, do not be alarmed. Due to unforeseen circumstances and an untimely notice, both Wonka and Bucket had to take a leave of absence for a few months. Family matters to both of them, but operations will be halted until the two return. Any kind of contact will be handled by one of their trusted associates._

/

Most people grew to accept the fate and hoped one day they'd return, but something about the whole "associates" aspect of the letter was fishy. "Associates, right…" a young woman sarcastically spoke.

She turned her head away from the billboard with the factory shown as "CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE." To her, something was so off about the sudden closing.

 _Why aren't more people raising a hell-storm over this? Okay, I know it's a silly factory, but the factory is important for everyone. It's almost a cultural icon. Hopefully something can happen for it to come back._ Madeleine Fortuyn thought that immensely, but she had her focuses for her college assignments. Pearson Village still brimmed with lively activity; everyone knew each other so well. Even strangers who passed on by the town felt incredibly welcomed.

Pearson University certainly brought its fair share of eclectic students, but all of them knew how to work together for a positive community. A lot of the students took great in pride for giving back to the community and for the factory, which would always make considerable, charitable donations, to be out of the picture was just saddening. Madeleine did what any student would do in a time like this, form a small club with people who believed in her motto: _Try it before you shit on it. If you don't try to figure out what's going on and just complain, nothing can get accomplished._

The dulling sound of her history professor going on about the historical significance of the bathroom just made her wanted to get out of there. She was known for a rather loud mouth, but she knew when to tone it down for the right situations.

As soon as the class bell rang, legs bolted like lightning and headed towards the campus quad. Most of the students carried on about their day, but not Madeleine. Today she had a goal in mind, to start the evidence trail for why that letter was so fishy. At her favorite spot, a tree of all places, she waited for her special club members to make their appearance.

The day was a beautiful one to wait for people, the clouds were in their right place and the temperature didn't feel like an oven. A lot of students would be more concerned about trying to make sure they made it through their papers, but a select few were willing to set it aside. Would this be the hugest controversy of the year? Would a few college kids be able to figure out why a huge, economically successful company stopped at such a random time in the year? This was the mystery Madeleine always fathomed about.

Suddenly she felt a presence behind her, who could this mysterious person be? Well, he was never good at playing subtle or would end up falling flat on his face.

"Chip, can you cut it out with this? Whenever you try something like this, it never ends well for you or me."

Without warning, he plopped on the ground right beside the confused woman. He'd like to play the surprise card whenever the chance set itself up. She sighed and laughed at his antics, but knew they were supposed to be endearing.

"Sorry Maddie, but ever since you wanted to come up with this idea, I wanted in. I'm always game for finding out what bullshit seems to be happening to this world. I'm just wondering when Wonka will _actually_ come back. Even after the kids, from what I heard, went into incognito mode not a whole lot of people heard what happened to them. Some reported that they didn't look happy, especially Violet. She looked horrified. Hmm, I wonder if Wonka wanted to scare the competition away. He was always known as a mysterious guy, but who knows how shady he actually was."

The wind sashayed and birds chirped, but both Chip and Madeleine wanted to learn the real truth.

Except, Madeleine did realize one thing. "Wait a minute, I think two of those kids attend here. Violet's always hiding in the library or in her dorm with her studies and I think she might be dating Mike. I know I friended him on Facebook a couple years ago because my parents and his parents sent us to a camp. I remember him telling me that some weird things did happen within that factory, but he didn't feel as horrified as Violet was." She leaned over on her elbows on the soft, green grass. "I wonder if we talked to them we can get some more information out of them about Wonka and Bucket."

Someone else slapped Madeleine in the back of the head. "What the- Oh, hey Coco. What's up?"

"I heard you're trying to talk to Mike and Violet, good luck with that. I've starting doing my own research and anyone who went in there is on a gag order no matter what. Even if Wonka is on the other side of the planet, nothing can be said _at all._ "

In disbelief, Madeleine flopped too on the grass. " _GREAT."_ Her hair grazed the ground, all of her anger and frustration was zapped away. She wanted to look for _anything_ , a lead, _something._

"Well, Coco, Chip, while there might be a gag order and Wonka's not here, I'm gonna talk to them anyway. We might as well start there."

"Wait, Madeleine! I think we can start with this first!" a guy with a rather, loud, recognizable echoed out.

"Rocky, lay it on me. Whatcha got for me?" Her eyes beamed with happiness and excitement.

In his hands, was a _very_ important letter, the letter that could change the fabric of time?

She quickly glanced at it, looking over every detail. "Wait a minute, how do you know Charlie?"

"Funnily enough, we used to be neighbors. Well, even though Charlie didn't live directly next to me, I lived in the closest house to him and we would hang out every now and then. Over the years we'd send letters because his family couldn't afford internet. Talk about corny and cheesy, but we kept up with our letters. I know Charlie enough that he wouldn't just leave without telling anyone. He's too much of a family man and an honest person. Even if he needed to take a leave he'd let me know first and up until the factory closed, he stopped altogether. This was the last letter he sent to me."

Although the words on that letter were meaningful to Madeleine and the others, something was still missing from this mystery.

Coco carefully leaned in, but noticed something peculiar about the paper the message was written on. "Hold on, Rocky, that corner there, it looks like something is sandwiched in between."

"Like an ice cream sandwich?" with such charm and grace told by Chip.

The other three looked at him with such disgust. Coco pinched the bridge. "Chip, not the time and place for humor like this."

"What? It's a mystery about the mogul of all candies and his successor suddenly vanishing; I think it's fitting."

Rocky carefully peeled back the corner of the letter, it had a metallic feeling. Except, it wasn't like a small coin, there was more to it. A key was right in their sight, on the back of it was a note attached that read: _For my friend Rocky, I would never ask you this, but in times like this I need you to go to the factory. Whoever you want to bring with you, that is your decision, but something may have happened to me and Wonka. We don't know who would want to target us, but find me._

Chip didn't want to believe it, he really didn't. "Uh Rocky, what's going on? This is actually a little scary now; who the fuck would want to target a fucking candy factory of all places? Unless this person really hates candy that much, that's insane."

Both women looked heavily concerned, Rocky was still in utter shock to be given _the_ key to the factory.

"So Madeleine, what do we do here?"

Calling the cops would be of no use, all of the cops in their town were being quiet. No one in their town wanted to say a thing, but the four were ready to make noise; it was time for the real truth to be uncovered, but would they be willing to uncover some dark truths?

/

However, while the original four kids came out of the factory relatively unharmed, what would be in stake for Madeleine and the others? Would Chip not crack under the pressure or would anyone else be willing to endure pain unimaginable?

A candy factory to most people would be a place of wonder, pure imagination; this factory was made into a pure nightmare, absolute horror.

* * *

 **So, the names of my OCs here are dessert-based. Yes, Madeleine is a dessert and they are pretty good if you ever get to try one.**

 **For most of the other characters, I'll be using their original characterization but there might be a few where I'll take a page from the Tim Burton version.**

 **As weird as this concept is to me, I hope someone out there will enjoy it.**

 **Please R &R!**


	2. Chapter 2

**It's been awhile since I've posted, trying to juggle real-life responsibilities, trying to work against writer's block as I am participating in this year's FMA BigBang challenge, and just in general trying to get my writing flow going.**

 **Halloween is looming over us, and I thought it would be fitting to at least post another chapter of a story that's been a fun idea in my mind a few months ago. Inspiration can find its oddest origins and I hope this horror-themed interpretation is well received.**

* * *

 _Journal date, September 5_ _th_ _, 2007. Madeleine, Coco, Rocky, and I are about to embark on a mystery that not even the cops are too concerned with. The mysterious case of Bucket and Wonka vanishing off the face of the earth. I mean, whoever this person is just has to hate candy that much. Heck, I feel bad for people are allergic to chocolate or similar sweets, but this is just insane. We aren't too sure where to go from here, but I think Madeleine is pretty intent on interviewing Violet and Mike. Word is that the two are in a relationship, but of course we don't know how deep that relationship goes. Like with anything, gotta do a little bit of digging and interrogation to get what we need. I just hope nothing bad comes out of this. It would be nice to see who the perpetrator is, but I don't want anyone to get hurt. I know I can be a little reckless, but I'm gonna make sure my friends aren't reckless._

/

For the past couple of days, Madeleine and the others wanted to try to focus their energy on gathering the materials necessary for the crime of the century. Coco sent out a message to Mike, he was actually in her chemistry course, to try to talk to him about a "class assignment." Rocky and Madeleine went by their uncles, whom both were retired cops and totally believed their story, to grab some "special" items. A couple of knives and smoke grenades most young adults could handle.

They all wanted to spring right into the fray, but it was more important to get the evidence. The interviews with Violet and Mike could reveal something even the others weren't aware about.

More and more students just carried on their day like nothing happened. Chip was up to his studies and journaling in the library. As much as he enjoyed putting himself out there in front of his friends, to get them to laugh, even he needed to ground himself back into reality. Writing was one of his biggest passions, something he could pour everything he loved dearly into physical form.

Words painted across his documents, he wanted to desperately journal more but even the due date for his sociology paper loomed over him. _Ugh, this is a death paper. I don't want to do this at all._ Stress lines and dark circles were on his face, the past few days for Chip weren't the easiest. As much as he wanted to stay on top of his work, Chip wasn't exactly the best at handling pressure which is why he found himself investigating online.

Suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder with a strong grip. The lack of sleep caused him to have a mild freak-out. "GAH! You don't grab people like that."

He nearly clocked Madeleine in the face.

"Sorry Chip, normally I'd give you a little bit more notice, but look at this article that both Coco and I found while doing some digging."

Across the newspaper article read, **_VERUCA SALT, HEIRESS OF SALT AND NUTS EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES._**

"Wait a minute, the bitchiest of the kids expressing condolences? Sounds like an oxymoron. I mean, even other articles I've found about her talk how ruthless and cold she is. I mean, don't get me wrong, she does get business done where her father couldn't, but yikes she could lead an army with that face." He had such a confused look on his face, he wanted to cry. "Seriously, it's almost as if she thinks Wonka and Bucket are already dead."

"Huh, why do you say that Chip?"

"Well, think about it. If Veruca so desperately wanted to get that chocolate factory, like she did a few years ago when the news broadcasted her being the third person finding the golden ticket. Except, she must've been that much of a brat to get her just desserts and Charlie was the one to get it all in the end. Something tells me, each of the kids who went in there had _something_ happen to them to change their tune. Violet used to be so prideful about everything, but over the past few years she's been very reserved." Articles plastered Chip's monitor, photos showed how Augustus changed as a kid to an adult was quite drastic. "Huh, looks like August went from being the fat kid to someone who tries to stay in some kind of shape. He talks about during his experience with Wonka's factory how eye opening he let himself go. He's traveled quite a bit giving lectures about self-image acceptance. He could probably go toe to toe with Veruca's ruthless business tactics." Chip continued to scavenge the wide web for _anything_ about the original five. Although, trying to find anything about Violet was nearly impossible.

Until one obnoxious click from Chip's mouse found something rather particular about Violet. "Well then." He spoke softly, almost at a loss of words.

The glare on the monitor wouldn't let the leader get a good glimpse of it. "Well what?"

"Looks like Ms. Beauregard did write about her experience in some way in one of her e-books. Not that it gained a whole lot of traction, but in her story she notes how she almost felt a prisoner in her own body. She wants her character to realize the choices she makes and ultimately, faces a life or death situation with what the character's body experiences. I don't know if I would call this some sort of epiphany or something, but I think Violet is trying to tell us to be careful _if_ we go into the factory."

Green eyes scanned some of the passages, phrases like "I had a choice to make things right, but my pride got in the way" or "Every part of me wanted to swim away, but I couldn't" just punched Madeleine in the gut. It was almost as if the gum chewer made a choice for the better, but it had its own consequences.

"Chip, we can try to dissect every sentence for whatever meaning the reader gets, but we need to talk to her and Mike ASAP. If there is something in that factory that _can_ change people and Veruca _is_ the mastermind behind it all, we have to be the ones to stop her." There were papers with scribbles and doodles that Chip try to draw out, but a heavily circled container from the Salt Factory peaked the leader's interest.

"Before we go, Chip, why do you have that shipment circled? Do you think she's trying to smuggle Wonka and Charlie?"

"No, I don't think she's smuggling humans. However, recently her stocks had a boost in sales as soon as she had a couple of shipments of Wonka's chocolate so she could make her chocolate covered nuts. Whatever chocolate she was using before wasn't exactly popular with the crowd, a lot of people used to complain that the chocolate was just bitter. Not even a bitter that let's say the average Joe might like, but when you bite into it it's just blech. This was just before Wonka and Charlie disappeared."

This was just alarming; Veruca wasn't always subtle with her business strategies. Which it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but she'd make her competition know that she was there. The Salt Factory was not afraid to tackle its competitors and critics head on, both literally and online. The ruthless brat would be more than willing to write a scathing piece or if someone crossed with her, a quick punch changed things pretty quickly.

However, Chip needed to make sure he'd get a passing grade in his course. "Maddie, I think we may have a lead somewhere, but I gotta focus on this paper. My professor 'says' that this will help for our final paper which is only a month or so away. I just…" his words trailed, anxiety starting to overtake him. His breathing changed to a more rapid pace, eyes twitching.

"Chip, you'll do fine. Just remember, even in the end, it's just a paper and you've wowed your professors before. Don't let this one thing hinge your whole life on it. Just show your determination and effort, which weighs more than anything else in life. We may fail or may not reach certain expectations, but in life you have to try."

"You're right, let me kick this death paper into next week." his voice was full of light again, his eyes glimmered with glee.

In a few hours, Chip was able to write to his heart's content and even surpassed the minimum requirements for the paper.

However, even with all of his notes and writing prowess, what could prepare him and the others for the ultimate challenge of their lives?

/

Normalcy somehow managed to carry on in Madeleine's town, but she wasn't by far content with what was going on. Her classes felt like the entire day was being wasted on what she needed to do to show Veruca the kind of woman she truly was. Her professors mumbled about the mediocrity of dead, white, males in her textbooks, but the only thing in Madeleine's mind was forming a plan.

A couple of notes and doodles in her notebooks showed how much detail she wanted to put into this operation. Grappling hooks, backpacks filled to the brim with supplies, and what would be the best way to enter into a factory without being noticed too much.

However, Professor Jacobson wasn't too fond of her daydreaming. "Miss Fortuyn, if you would like to doodle about your fanfiction for later, that's one thing, but please focus on the task at hand." Her nasally tone was just so irritating, Madeleine always wondered where her bizarre accent was from. _Like anyone would want to listen to someone who doesn't even follow her own syllabus._ Madeleine _attempted_ to follow along, but discreetly wrote her notes making it look like she was writing down what the professor wanted them to "learn."

The clock struck loudly, with haste and minimal effort, she ran to the campus quad waiting for the others.

Short brown hair contrasted against the yellow, red flowers; something made Coco float on cloud nine, as if she struck a mine of gold. "Hey Madeleine, you're gonna be pretty happy because I was able to get Mike and Violet to talk."

Just as Madeleine wanted to jump for joy, she quickly interrupted. "However, we must be in the presence of their parents. Not so much Mike's, I talked with them over the phone and they have no issue, but for Violet, not so much. Plus, let's just say Mr. Beauregarde still has a little bit of a grudge what Mr. Wonka did to his 'precious little daughter.'"

"Yeah, but there's one contingency that both Violet's parents want in the end," Rocky added.

"What do they want Rocky? Money, chocolate?"

"No, none of that, some kind of cure or medicine that could help Violet. Apparently, after she went through the factory she undergone a drastic change to her personality and she's been so afraid doing certain things that not even a doctor could give her the medicine for. Wonka might have something, but who knows when we'll see that man again."

"Mr. Beauregarde acting like the sleazy car salesman he truly is." Disgust could only describe Madeleine's tone.

The four were ready; it was time for a couple of truths and lies to be shattered. This veil of fallacies that Veruca casted over everyone, but it missed its marks.

Coco quickly called Violet on her gaudy flip cell-phone, charms showing off her favorite sweets. "I hate this phone sometimes. The service can be just god awful."

Chip's eyes were wide open with delight. "You know, I've seen Violet pass by me a couple of times in the hallways, but I never had the courage to talk to her directly. She always looked like she was preoccupied with something else."

"Hey Coco, what's up?" Violet shyly asked, but Coco had the phone on enough of a loud volume so that the others could hear it clearly.

With a few nods from the others, Coco pressed onwards. "I know you and your parents spoke to me in length, but now you would be okay if I brought a few of my other friends with me? Do you know about Madeleine Fortuyn?"

"I- Yes, I have no issue with you bringing your friends as long as my folks are there to listen to the conversation. If you really think something this bad has happened to Wonka, then I want to try and tell you what you can do. With Madeleine, I know of her, I think she might be in one of my psychology classes. Jacobson pointed her out during a lecture and I can't blame Madeleie for wanting to doodle, those woman's classes are a bore. Actually, can I talk to her for just a few moments? Privately?"

Coco had the most confused look on her face, Rocky was at a loss for words, and Chip didn't know what to say in the moment.

"Coco, hand me the phone- Hey Violet, what was it that you want to ask me specifically?"

There was silence on Violet's end, almost as if she couldn't say what she truly wanted to.

"It's alright Violet. Don't feel afraid to tell me and only me." Madeleine quickly ushered the others to cover their ears.

"I have a fear that Veruca might be after an ingredient in the factory, an incredibly addictive kind. Something that I made the mistake of putting into my mouth and that's forever changed my life."

"What do you mean 'addictive?' Like is this something that can change a person entirely?"

Once again Violet paused for a prolonged period of time. A few breaths could be heard, almost as if a panic attack was about to take place. "I just wanted to say that for now, if you want more details then come over to my parents' house. Mike will be there too, he and I have been dating for quite a bit if you really want to know and he can provide some other info too."

"We would definitely want to talk to you and Mike. Coco tried to get a comment from Augustus about Veruca, but the only thing he would say is that she's a cold-hearted bitch and that actually speaks volumes about her."

Rocky was still a little unsure with the entourage and underground interview, but Coco made sure that nothing could happen to them. "Look, Rocky, don't worry about it. I got this, Madeleine's got this, Chip's been super helpful, and I've done my job. We need you as our solid ground; you know people who can help get us what we need and I think we're ready, for real."

The four were that sure of their success, to uncover the bitter truth that Veruca has tried so desperately to hide from the entire world. They were ready to show Veruca's true colors, she was more than just a ruthless business woman. Underneath that façade laid something a bit more wicked, what could money and power really do to millions of people?

* * *

 **I adore Chip so much, he's the young spitfire member of the group and wants to lookout for everybody. Oh man, I made Veruca such a bitch in this fanfic and honestly, even let's say after the events of either the original or remake, she would still be bitchy and not learn her lesson.**

 **For Violet, I wanted to play out just how traumatic it was for her when she chew the fated gum and how it changed not only her body, but her attitude and part of her personality. Also, I think it's cute to see Mike and Violet in a relationship.**

 **Something sinister is brewing and how will the main four be able to handle it? Stick around for later chapters to come.**

 **Please R &R! ^o^ Have a safe and Happy Halloween!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, it's almost been a year since I've updated and I'm so sorry for that. A lot has transpired within a year, both good and bad, but I REALLY want to try and focus more on writing then ever before.**

 **Writing to me means a whole lot; crafting a world of characters, figuring out the plot twists and turns, and the fun behind writing.**

 **When I first got the idea for this fanfic, I thought it would be a little silly and childish. But from the reviews I saw, people like where I'm taking this and I hope I don't disappoint.**

 **Please enjoy.**

* * *

A mixture of anxiousness and frustration ran through Madeleine; she just wanted to do what was right immediately, especially for Violet's sake by what she said over the phone. However, she and the others needed to be methodical. While Madeleine's and Rocky's uncles made sure they were stocked with the appropriate equipment to infiltrate a chocolate factory, Coco and Chip did their jobs on gaining intelligence in the right spots. Violet and Mike were willing to talk about what they experienced. Maybe something in their tale could unveil some kind of wickedness behind Veruca's plan.

Another dull lesson from Professor Jacobson didn't even faze Madeleine; she tapped her pencil and "attempted" to write down notes. This professor had no idea how to run a class, she mucked up her own syllabus _multiple_ times and how could a psychology professor not know how to present stuff in an orderly fashion? Madeleine's doodles had Veruca holding bills of money while lasers escaped from her beady eyes. The more and more she found out about Veruca, the more it just angered the blonde. She looked forward to finding the wretch and putting that brat back in her place.

 _You would think, after going through quite an experience at a factory she would learn some kind of lesson; looks like we need to school her, karma will come to bite her in the ass._

The professor _attempted_ to teach class, but when the class bell rang, she didn't even finish the topic for today. "Please keep an eye out for my email containing what you need to read for the next class."

A couple of hours went by, and while Madeleine did get the email she was more concerned with the talk between Violet, Violet's parents, and Mike. There was a lot on the line, the biggest challenge even above college.

Madeleine patiently waited for everybody at the campus quad, their little rendezvous point. She was greeted with the others smirking and noticed Rocky's bag was particularly full.

"Well, looks like our uncles really came through for us. This is just a sample for one person, but they made sure that there's enough equipment for us. Who would've known a chocolate factory would turn into a big heist like this?" There were enough flares, ropes, flash grenades, knives for them to endure a zombie apocalypse. Rocky seemed to looked happy, but Coco could sense a slight bit of dread from his facial expression and posture.

"Rocky, is everything okay?" She placed her hand on his shoulder, with a small grin on her face for reassurance.

"I know I'll be okay, but I still worry about Charlie with every hour that passes. If Veruca _HAS_ done something to him, I'll show that bitch what a good couple of years of Krav Maga can do to someone."

"If you're gonna take a few swings at her, save a couple for me." Madeleine chuckled. Her own bag was littered with notes and printouts of the factory, and her plan to get into it. "Coco, when are we supposed to meet Mike and Violet?"

Coco looked down at her watch, but suddenly her cell-phone went off. "Alright, this _should be_ the call from Violet's father."

"Hello, Coco here, how can I help you?"

"Ms. Fournier, this is Sam Beauregarde, and just to let you know, anything you and your friends will say to my precious daughter will be on a recording and I'm not afraid to use legal action if necessary. Can I really trust a couple of kids to handle something like this?" His tone was the definition of condescending; he couldn't sound any more nasally, too.

Coco felt very chagrined with his attitude, but tried to remain professional with him. "Sir, that's completely fine, and if you want to doubt our ability that could potentially help your daughter, then sure. Record us all you want and log everything that we have to say, but I'll be damned if we turned a blind eye to a someone who'd be willing to show us something not many could even begin to imagine."

"Fine, just make sure all four of you promptly arrive here at 5:00 PM. My wife plans on making a lovely dinner for this 'odd' occasion. I just want my daughter to be normal again, you understand me?"

Coco looked at the others for a bit of reassurance. "We will be there promptly at 5:00 PM."

All of them felt unnecessarily judged by the car salesman; he hadn't even seen their faces or the determination to help out Violet.

Chip couldn't help but scoff. "Man, this 'father' is willing to do anything for his daughter; but yet, us four are willing to do this. I know we have our concerns with whatever may lie in the factory or what Veruca has in store, but we'll be the ones to stop this frenzy."

Madeleine beamed with a sense of pride; one of her goals for her whole life was to help someone less fortunate than her, she saw that mission in Violet.

A few hours went by, after getting more papers and studying done, the four made their way to the Beauregarde residence. Of course, conveniently, their house was located next to Sam's Carshop. Row after row of cars lined-up; gas guzzlers to more economic models showcased the Beauregarde's wealth. However, no amount of wealth could help Violet feel happy.

Rocky hesitantly knocked at the door, right at 5:00 PM. They were met with scents of pie and chicken from the kitchen to the door way. A young looking, blonde mom greeted them with a perky smile. "Hello kids, I'm Lisa Beauregarde. I hope my husband hasn't been too much for you, I know he is set in his _own ways_ and wants best for Violet. However, please come in because I just finished dinner and I hope you kids are hungry."

"We definitely are." Chip replied overly excited, however he knew he had to be on his best behavior especially around Violet's dad. Anything could pretty much set this father off; the last thing he wanted was the scorn of an enraged father.

However, the dining table had an empty spot. While silverware was neatly arranged in that spot, Sam had a disgusted look on his face. "Why doesn't our daughter want to join us with these 'guests?'"

"Dear, we'll bring some food to Violet. I know she wants to focus on her studies and papers, but let's entertain our guests for right now. I'm so sorry that I haven't asked, but what are your names?"

Just as Madeleine shoveled food in her gullet, she nearly choked on some corn. "Sorry," as she politely covered her mouth and not coughing corn all over the table, "the name's Madeleine Fortuyn."

"Coco Fournier," Coco said in a delighted tone with a smile to match.

The youngest member spaced out, but finally came back to reality. "Chip Hauer, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Beauregarde." He sounded unsure, the last thing Chip wanted to do was spill his plate all over the table.

"My name's Rocky Anker and I hope in some way we can come to an agreement about your daughter. However, I want to make this perfectly clear that we in no way want any money or reward out of this. All that matters is that we locate both Charlie and Mr. Wonka, and potentially find out if Ms. Veruca Salt is conspiring some sort of plan to take them out. I've known Charlie for years and he's not the kind of person to drop off the face of the earth."

Sam was carefully trying to cut his steak but he stopped cutting it to stare a Rocky, firmly grasping the knife. "If that is what you want to believe about a conspiracy that's fine and I'm very glad that you kids aren't looking to get any money out of this. However, I would like to talk more about this after dinner so that this conversation could be recorded just in case for the future."

"I completely understand sir, let's enjoy the meal your wife made for us and hopefully Violet can join us later. I can understand why she didn't want to eat, when it gets close to finals; that's the only thing you can focus on."

Lisa had a perky smile, but even underneath that smile the other four could feel a sense of nervousness. Sam wasn't exactly keen on his own table manners but would once in a while reprimand his wife's posture or that her elbows were on the table.

For all four of them, it was probably _the most awkward_ dinner they've ever been a part of. The last time Madeleine was at a family dinner she dreaded talking about politics, but who knew the young woman would be conversing about saving factories overran by a rich brat. "So, Mr. Beauregarde, I have to ask you," her words trailed off with a slight inquisitive tone.

"If you have something to say Madeleine, say it; whatever you are trying to imply, I don't like it at all."

There was an elongated pause from everyone. Chip was too unsure what to say next that wouldn't infuriate everyone else. Rocky was about ready to say something to the narcissistic man, but Coco reassured that their plan will go as intended. "Mr. Beauregarde, no one else in the world is giving a damn about Wonka and what the factory means to everyone. Don't you find that a little strange?"

"You watch your mouth young lady-"

Rocky couldn't take it anymore. "I don't care what you may think, but aren't you worried about your damn daughter or about yourself? If you care more about your precious daughter, then shut your car-talking trap and be a father!"

Chip's eyes widened in a mix of horror and amusement. _Damn, Rocky just crushed that jerkwad._

Lisa remained quiet, she didn't know what to say or do in the moment. _These kids have the vigor that I wish I had with Sam. I know Sam can seem brash and all, but he's a loving father and husband through and through._

Everyone was so done with Mr. Beauregarde's know it all attitude, but somehow the old man managed to respond. "Fine, say what you want to say, but you better find a damn cure in that factory or find Wonka. Either way, I want my daughter to return to a _normal life._ "

The tension was very tight from the get go, the car salesman just wanted to get what was best for his pride. Like any sales he can get, Mr. Beauregarde squeezed people for their worth and value. These "kids" to him had no value, but yet they were willing to do something while nobody else did.

No police officer or other customer of Wonka's stepped up to the plate; Veruca had such a tight grip over everything legally and financially.

"Dad, why are you yelling at them?" Violet shyly asked as she peered around the door, almost as if she didn't want to be seen. Her brown hair partially blocking her eyes, dark circles as vivid as a raccoon's. For the past few days, tests and other projects have worn her out.

"Madeleine," she paused, almost as if she couldn't say what she wanted to say, "…it's good to see you and your friends. I'm sorry about my father; I know he wants what's best for me in the end. However it's caused a lot of strife in our family. No matter what doctor we've seen, I can't get this 'thing' out of my system."

Finally, the car salesman didn't have a word to say. He wanted to be quiet for his daughter and not make himself look more like a fool in front of them.

"What's this 'thing' you're talking about?" Rocky inquired.

"Here kids," Lisa interjected, "Why don't we all finish what we got on our plates and I'm sorry about my husband. He, Violet, and I have been under a lot of stress the past couple of years to be completely honest. Once we finish eating, I'll set up the recording machine and we can discuss everything." Somehow her calming voice was able to bring everyone back down to reality. Madeleine was more than willing to go off on Sam, but she didn't want to do it in front of Violet.

"You are absolutely right, Mrs. Beauregarde," Coco replied. "You took the time and energy to make us this dinner and I don't think it would be best to sour the evening with an argument. Violet, why don't you join us?"

Shyly and awkwardly, she approached the table. "Mom, this meal looks great. Thank you."

For once, as everyone was eating what was on their plates, there was silence. Sam didn't try to interject anything and Chip managed to not spill his plate all over the table. It was just odd for the four to see the car salesman not jabbering his mouth off.

Violet did elicit a few smiles here and there from the delight of the meal, but Madeleine couldn't shake the feeling that there was something Violet was afraid of showing to the others.

"Honey, thank you for the meal and I do apologize for my temperament. I'm normally better than this, but we have been going through quite a bit. My daughter trying to get through college and other crazy nonsense going on in this world."

After a good solid twenty minutes, everyone excused themselves from the table to use the bathroom and even helped out Lisa with cleaning up the dining table and dishes.

"You really don't have to do that, but more hands get the job done."

Sam did help with the more heavy duty cleaning, but as soon as he was done he went to go slump in his favorite reclining chair.

The others did gather around, but the four were unsure as to how the conversation would go. Would the sleazy salesman go off on another tirade?

Violet sat on the floor, legs crossed and her face full of concern. Every once in a while her hair would fall in front of her eyes, as if she hasn't had a haircut in a long while and was okay with it.

Lisa carefully set the machine down and went back to the kitchen to take care of a few matters. "Hey hun, I'll be back in a few moments; let me get the dessert in the oven so that by the time we are done we give them something and they can go back home afterwards."

"That's fine sweetie. It's best that everyone here can be recorded."

Chip looked at the others for some kind of reassurance. "So Violet, are you feeling okay with all of this? I mean, it's a bit absurd with this whole Wonka vanishing thing and then Veruca's statement. Also, where's Mike?"

"I don't know. I know he said he would try to be here, but I heard there's something going on with his father's business." Violet calmly replied. "I just want everything to go back to normal."

Madeleine wanted to ask the elephant in the room, what was the "thing" Violet mentioned? Some kind of disease or something harming her body?

"Hun, let's start recording." Lisa said in a state of manner, she knew it had to be done and it was better than nothing for her daughter.

Sam put his reclining chair back down and had his hands crossed in front of his chin. "So kids, let me ask you. Why did you even start with this whole thing?"

"Charlie and I were friends for _years_ , I mean we would send each other letters about our lives. I know in this day and age you can send an email, but there's just something timeless with sending letters to a friend." Rocky interjected. "Every now and then we meet up over a cup of coffee, but with the huge responsibility of the factory over his shoulders I can understand if he sent a letter once a month. However, it's been a good solid six months and to not hear anything from him? I was getting worried. _Then_ we hear about Veruca Salt having her 'condolences' over the situation seemed a bit odd."

Coco couldn't agree more to Rocky's statement. "Rocky's right. I had my suspicions too and even from my initial research about Veruca, she's not exactly the nicest girl around, never apologizes for anything she's done wrong. I found one article from a trusted source who told me that if a reporter tried to ask her more in depth questions she would either flip out like a child or have her security escort them out. Hell, when I talked to Augustus about a few weeks ago, he gave me some insight into Veruca's business."

"What kind of insight do you say?" Sam inquired, furrowing his brow.

"Well, she's a textbook example of a plagiarist; claiming others' work as her own. When she's tried to get an edge over her clients, she's been keen on doing _anything_ to earn money at the end of the day."

"I might always try to push my customers to buy my cars, but I'm not one to use underhanded tactics. Sounds like this brat still has not been punished." Sam couldn't believe it, he shook his head in disbelief. "Why on earth would Veruca want to claim the factory?"

"It's simple," Coco replied calmly, "She wants the only factory in the world so that she can get more fame and glory from it. Wonka and even Charlie lived simple lives, but Veruca's life was far from it. She only cared about money and her greed to have it all. As soon as her father kicked the bucket, she took the Salt Factory into a far different direction than what her father entailed. She completely cut her mother out of the picture."

Violet had to interject. "Wait a minute, so the brat who wants everything in the world completely cut her own mother out of the picture? Wouldn't she have reported her for any of the crimes Veruca committed?"

"From what Augustus told me, looks like she was able to pay her mother off with some kind of bribery to keep her mouth shut from any possible legal troubles. Heck, who would people believe more? The person who runs the factory or the mother?"

"But even then, why take the factory when she has her own?"

Chip quickly rummaged through his bag to grab an article. "Lookie here."

Sam tried to lean in for a better view and in big, bold letters it read _Salt's Chocolate Nuts are Only Salty._

"So, why should I care about a review for one of her chocolate coated nuts?" the father asked with a low tone.

"Any time that the Salt's Factory would try to any sort of chocolate covered item or chocolate itself, it was never well received. People are honest and will speak the truth, but Veruca is not one for the truth. She would pitch a _fit_ and say that they were wrong and so on and so forth. She would do _anything_ to hide those reviews from the general public; she is that much of a control freak."

"Control." Violet quietly muttered; she rested her hand underneath her chin.

"Control, what do you mean?" Madeleine asked. She carefully went from her chair to sit right by Violet on the floor.

Her mother walked on by, perfectly coifed hair and demeanor as calm as a cucumber. "Honey, are you sure you can show them?"

"Yeah, Madeleine can you move over a little?" as Violet took a deep gulp, flexing her fingers out and trying to clear her mind.

"Uh, sure."

Mr. Beuaregarde quickly ran out of the room, leaving Chip confused. "What's he running for?"

"To grab my EPI pen just in case."

"EPI PEN?!" All four exclaimed in confusion.

Just as the four said that they noticed a slight change on Violet's body, a darker blue shade starting on the tips of her fingers.

Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard and Violet's mother ran for it. "Oh gosh, Mikey. Why are you here so late? You were supposed to be here an hour ago."

"MIKE?!" Violet yelled with confusion, quickly jerking her body around. However, the blue shade started to shoot up her arms and she quickly wretched forward in immense pain. "FATHER, I NEED IT NOW!"

With quick instinct, her father plunged the needle into her thigh and hugged her until the pain went away. Over a few moments, the blue shade vanished and Mike ran up to her. "Oh my gosh, Violet. I'm so sorry. I meant to call you earlier, but my father and mother 'needed' me to help with a design that could've been pushed back for later. Why on earth are you trying to show _that_?"

"Give me about an hour from now and I can show them. They need to know what could be ahead of them in that bloody factory."

Mike was pretty confused as hell. "What do you mean? Is someone trying to go in there?"

"Yeah," Violet smirked. "Those four there are crazy enough to do it."

Madeleine smiled. "Look, I want this on the record that Veruca will be going down no matter what. If she thinks she can just control people via intimidation and money, she's sorely mistaken."

Although, Coco wanted to know more about this, the journalist in her wanted to leave no page unturned. "Look, Violet. If you are comfortable to actually show us this thing, we will make sure that there are no interruptions. Mike, did you not get my texts or anything?"

"I'm so sorry Coco. I know you came by me to remind me about the meeting and I did set a reminder, but my mind's been travelling a bit too. Trying to keep my stress levels under control, but I think this whole town is secretly stressed out and no one wants to admit it."

Violet's mother quickly ran to the kitchen. "Listen, I'll make tea for everyone. That should help calm everybody down."

Pots and pans were banging around as Lisa tried to precariously grab the tea pot and Sam continued to stay by his daughter. Mike leaned forward and gave Violet a kiss on the forehead. Everyone was just still slightly awkward with the situation. What did Violet want to show to everyone that's so secretive?

For a bit of time, there was pleasurable silence. Madeleine and the others secretly communicated to each other via text: was what they're doing the right thing? Would it all be worth it? Can Violet ever be happy again?

Scents of chamomile and green tea travelled to the living room, Chip perked up. "Oh man, I haven't had tea in the longest time and this just reminds me of the times my mom would brew me tea for my big papers. There's just something comforting with not just having your own cup of tea, but sharing it with others who mean the most. And look, I know I am the youngest here, but I want to prove to myself that I can do this and Violet, you deserve to be happy. I'm glad Mike is so caring and compassionate for you, but I just can't shake this nasty feeling out of my head that something will go wrong. Call me paranoid, but yeah."

"That was quite poetic, Chip." Madeleine replied with a little bit of sarcasm.

"Shut it blondie, you know what I meant!"

Violet actually managed to elicit a smile and laugh. "You know Madeleine, I find the interaction between you and your friends something I want for my life. While, I appreciate everything that Mike has done for me the past couple of years, there's still that spark missing from my life that makes me just want to move."

Violet carefully stood up from Mike, she closed her eyes again. "I know I can do this, watch me." Like a ballerina, she assumed her stance and loosened her fingers. Each breath was precise and controlled, and then the familiar blue shade appeared on her fingertips.

Rocky tried to reach out to touch, but Madeleine quickly swatted his hand out of the way. "Don't, let her focus; this could be the key."

More and more the blue color travelled up her arms and encroached around her neck. Her parents were ready to jump when Violet was in obvious signs of distress. Violet carefully opened up her eyes, her once beautiful brown ones transformed into a deep, rich blue color right in front of everyone.

However, her breathing sounded a little heavy but she managed to fight it and released whatever state she was in.

"Had I let it gone on for another couple of moments, you guys could have seen my body change too but it's too embarrassing in front of anyone."

Once again, Violet wanted to keep everything encrypted.

"Come on Violet, there's something else you're hiding from us. So what, how embarrassing can it be?" Rocky inquired, resting his chin on his hands.

For a moment, Violet wanted to hesitate; could she truly show them the extent what one piece of gum did to her body? Would she lose total control and turn into that _thing_ again? "Fine, if you insist. I can try to show you guys, asides from my body changing color. It's not just some parlor trick, I can assure you that."

Her mother and father watched from a distance as their daughter was willing to put her body on the line.

"Sweetie, you've already showed them twice. Isn't it enough? I don't want you to take it too far." Her father pleaded; the last thing he wanted to see was his daughter in pain all over again.

Violet took another few deep breaths; the blue hue returned and crept up her arms. As her eyes turned that dark, rich blue, her forearms looked slightly swollen, as if she was retaining water. She tightened her fists as hard as she could. "What happened to me was a result of carelessness and wanting to show off my pride in front of everyone. Wonka had this gum, a gum described as the most amazing thing out there. A full three course meal, something that could help families who don't have a whole lot of money. He mentioned that it was still being developed, but I was a bratty kid and thought that I could chew it just fine. I could've been the first person in the world to try something so extraordinary."

The brunette released her hands and she returned back to normal, her forearms as slim as an athlete's arms. "I was so wrong. After the first couple of chews, it was unbelievable that a piece of gum could deliver so many flavors as if I was really eating the items as described. However, the desserts part was really unexpected. No joke, my body turned blue and inflated me into a ball. Well, Wonka had the Oompa Loompas roll me into a room to get whatever fluid was inside of me out, but after that my body was never the same. I have to be so careful of how I move it and my emotional state. Whatever components was within that gum almost molded to my blood and I've been begging that man to give me a cure, but I never heard anything back. At first, maybe this was my punishment for being such a brat without a care to the world. However, hearing about his disappearance made me worry so much that I'll never be cured, but the scary part was with Veruca's 'sentimental statement.'"

Coco leaned in and asked, "Wait a second. Inflated?"

Chip and Madeleine had the most puzzled looks on their face. Chip's curiosity wanted him to know more. "Wait, inflated? I don't get it. How can a body be able to surpass its natural limits?"

Suddenly, the blondie had a moment of realization. "Chip, it does make sense. Think about what Violet said. If it's unstable, meaning the properties are supposed to go somewhere, then probably it went all haywire causing this fluid to build up in her body. The saliva naturally reacts to gum and, bingo, there's your cause. Violet, why do you think Veruca wants the factory so badly?"

"Simple, Veruca wants what's in there. Specifically that gum, I just have that feeling in the pit of my stomach she wants to use components of it to control people and I feel like she already has. I didn't spit out the gum when I was chewing it. People were telling me to spit it out, but I couldn't exactly focus on their words. Something convinced me to chew it. I don't think Wonka intended for it to be addictive, but with how unstable it was, that's what caused myself and Wonka's test subjects to transform like that."

"How on earth could she control people with a piece of gum?" Chip asked with a bit of confusion in his tone.

Her father shook his head in utter disbelief. "Why did you never tell us about some of these feelings you were having? I'm supposed to protect you from harm and if what you're suggesting could do further harm to others, well maybe it's time to shut my car dealer mouth and actually be a father to those who will need it." He got up from his favorite recliner and went over to hug his daughter. Sam tried hard to fight back his tears; he's never been the perfect man. No one could ever be perfect.

Mike was just horrified, the woman he cared about so much was harboring so many dark secrets that she was willing to share them in front of everybody. "I can't even begin to imagine what Vi went through, but for me… not as pleasant as hers."

Everyone paused for a moment, wanting to hear more.

"I was a brat too, and Wonka described this one room we were as WonkaVision: a program that could allow him to take an oversized bar of chocolate and transport it into television so people can reach in and grab it. I was a skeptic at first and then thought, what if I could be in television? As a kid, who wouldn't want to be on television? I could tell all of my friends about it, but how can you when you're shrunk down to the size of a miniature doll?"

"So, how did Wonka turn you back to normal? Were there any side effects?" Mr. Beauregard inquired.

"Well, I heard about a Taffy Pulling machine and that they would give me some kind of bottle to bring me back to my normal weight. As far as I can tell, over the past few years, I've been able to run and do a whole lot with no repercussions. However, I wish I can take on what Violet's dealing with. I was a brat too and the punishment I got back then wasn't enough. If Veruca truly wants that gum to control people, then nothing good will come out of it."

Sam stood up and stopped the recording. "I think I've heard enough." He sighed heavily, slowly walked over to his wife and rested his hand on her shoulder. "I said this before, I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. Violet, I never knew you were truly feeling like this, and maybe I was just too damn blind to it."

Lisa looked at her husband, their eyes met in a gaze. "Kids, if you think you're that bold and brave enough to enter that fortress, go for it. I think it's clear my husband and I have your support. Sounds like Veruca never got her punishment, and maybe it'll take you four to deliver it."

This was what the four needed to hear the most; the tipping point to save more than just Violet.

However, Violet had dread in her eyes. "Just, please be careful, and _heaven forbid_ you find yourself having to deal with that gum if Veruca's set up some sort of trap. Just, try to control your breathing and tighten your limbs, it'll slow the progression down."

Madeleine stood firmly and proudly next to Violet. "Trust me; we won't fall for that spoiled brat's tricks. If anything, we'll make her slip up and she'll pay for the consequences."

* * *

 **Wow, I made Violet such a huge (no pun intended) focus here and honestly I'm glad. For me, I get really sick and tired of just seeing her being used as fetish fuel and this fanfic is in a way to show that you can write about something that's not just a fetish. You can tell she doesn't want to talk about certain things, her emotional and physical state. To me, it's an interesting journey for her (referencing both of the movies) that a prideful child would actually be humbled by the experiences she's gained.**

 **Writing her father was so much fun, maybe I had thought of some characteristics from Endeavor in My Hero Academia, he can be such a prick and only get the things he wants by money and intimidation. Her mother was a little bit of a take from the Charlie version, but I think even she would change her tone especially for her daughter.**

 **As I was writing so much about Violet, I wanted to make sure Mike got the spotlight. I was rewatching some clips of Mike from both movies and I plan to make a nod later on with something that could benefit Madeleine and the others.**

 **These OCs are a lot of fun to write too, each of them wanting to help out Violet and possibly stop Veruca from her evil plans which could affect _everybody._ The next few chapters will allow each of them to shine in their own light and see how they contend with the unknown in the factory.**

 **As always, please R &R because I want to see what you guys think and feedback is the best thing a writer can see.**


	4. Chapter 4

**OH man, what a while it has been since I updated.**

 **Once again, a lot in my life has been going on that for the most part have been positive. For those who may not know, this is very late for me to mention this but whatever XD, back in November 3rd I said yes to the man whom I truly love and looking forward to spending a lovely future with.**

 **My writing has been coming in waves, there are days I want to write to my heart's content or there are days my creativity can be low it's hard to come up with a plot idea or a sentence.**

 **Tanglepelt is my sister in crime and truly helps me in HUGE strides with my confidence and ability to write.**

 **I hope any person who comes across this fanfic here or any future one I do, can enjoy the passion I love to deliver each and every time because that's what writing should be about.**

 **Hope you all enjoy! ^w^  
**

* * *

Everything that Madeleine and the others just heard from Violet and Mike was something out of a child's story. Would they really be ready to contend with whatever reality was made in the factory, and what could happen if Veruca got a hold of that dreaded gum? Could she turn it into some kind of weapon?

Sam looked to his daughter with a sincere smile on his face. "Kids, I know you _will_ make it out of there, find Charlie and Mr. Wonka, and bring Veruca's childish antics to a grinding halt. She needs to be stopped." For once, the car salesman was able to show some sort of emotion to his daughter. In the back of his mind, he feared what the childish brat could do. _I remember during the tour, Veruca would never shut up to her father unless he did exactly what she wanted._

Mike sat across from Mr. Beauregarde, his hands rested underneath his chin. "Look, I want to ask you guys a very important question."

Chip replied, "What kind of question, Mike?"

Mike quickly left the living room area to grab his backpack. "I know we were all talking about the greatest mission man can ever achieve by saving Wonka, but I am not one to take threats lightly especially from Veruca." A metal case shined like the sun as he undid two locks. Rocky shuffled over and couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"A fucking gun?! Are you that crazy? Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Beauregarde, I shouldn't swear like that."

"Michael?! HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD THAT THING FOR?!" Violet cried out in disbelief.

"I remember as a kid I wanted to play with one of those things, but my dad said I couldn't have one until I was twelve. A Colt .45, something just screams old-fashioned cowboy movies. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that thing. Even then, he said I could have it but couldn't actually shoot it until I was eighteen."

Madeleine had to intervene. "Listen, there might be some crazy, unusual things in that factory but a gun? I'm usually the one who likes to go gung hoe on certain things, but not quite literally. However, having that said I have no problem taking responsibility of holding onto it for only this one time. My father and his brother did teach me a lot about gun safety and responsibility. I wouldn't put it pass Veruca to do something crazy and stupid; so, I will take full responsibility." While on one hand the blonde would be all fiery about taking whatever means to take someone down, a gun was not one of those initial options. She was hoping that it could come to a _reasonable_ resolution, but Veruca was anything but reasonable.

Lisa wanted to play mom to Madeleine, but she knew what the young woman was willing to do, so she wouldn't interfere.

Violet understood the seriousness if a gun would be used, too. "Look, I would not be surprised if Veruca retaliated in some sort of violent fashion, but only use it just to incapacitate her. She needs to be accountable for her sins."

The four college kids looked at each other; the mission was laid out, a moment in history would be made: saving the chocolate factory from a maniacal, overly-rich brat.

Without further haste, Madeleine went around and thanked Violet and her parents for the meal. Everyone had smiles on their faces; they all understood each other just a bit more. Sam wasn't just an angry car salesman, he may be shrewd with a constant stern look on his face, but he did show some love and care when least expected. Coco helped Lisa with cleaning the kitchen a bit more, giving everyone something to take home for later.

However, how much later would the young adults be able to enjoy peace at home? What kind of dirty tricks would Veruca pull on them?

/

A solid week went on by after their chat with Violet and her parents; Rocky and Madeleine went over the plan a few more times making sure they were prepared for anything. Their uncles gave them more supplies: bandages, flares, flash grenades, rope. However, Rocky didn't want to his uncle to see the gun at all and kept it pretty hidden.

It was 5:00 AM on Saturday, the sun was just starting to rise over the metallic factory. Yellows and burnt oranges illuminated the gates.

Chip was not happy in the slightest, his dark circles showed it all. "Seriously guys? Why this fucking early? I know we agreed to it, but still, no human should be conscious at this time."

"Well Chip, would you rather be working on a death paper at the moment or do something out of your wildest imagination?" Coco snarkily replied; her dark circles too definitely showed she was tired, but her convenient coffee-filled energy drink was able do the trick.

He relented; Chip let out a big sigh but had a smile on his face. "I'd take infiltrating a factory ANY DAY over writing a death paper."

Clouds loomed over, the sun trying to peak over it. Metal gates looked rusted, as if no human has touched it in ages. Signs read "DO NOT TRESPASS/UNDER OWNERSHIP OF SALT CO."

Rocky angrily scoffed at the sign. "Look at the pompous bitch trying to be all 'official' with signs thinking no person would dare to try to enter. I just hope Charlie and Wonka are okay."

Cars barreled down the street nearby the factory. No one paid any mind with the four young adults ready to embark on the journey of their lives.

However, after enough research of the factory, all four them knew it would not be ideal to try to enter the factory from the front. Carefully they went to the east side of the building, rappelled their way up. Every once in a while, the rope would try to give way, but Chip was able to keep things steady at the bottom.

"All of my years of wall climbing are finally paying off for the most ridiculous thing ever."

One by one, the others took their turns to scale up the walls. Every once in a while, they checked their surroundings just in case there's someone watching them. Coco quickly pulled out the map she detailed the other night showing the prime spot for them to make their entrance. "Okay guys, we need to get towards the center of this roof here and then Rocky will knock a hole large enough on a skylight for us to get in and then slowly rappel your way in. However, whoever is gonna be the last person to get in, just try to be careful and not fall."

"Well, even if I do fall, I'd be able to take it." Chip replied back.

With a knife in his hand, Rocky was able to use his strong hands to break the glass. Even with all of the rattling, not a soul was heard. _Charlie, I hope Veruca didn't do something to you because I swear._

Madeleine quickly and carefully peeked her head through the hole, untouched furniture and paintings were covered in inches of dust. "Gosh, for as much money Veruca has, you would think she can afford some kind of maid to clean up the front. Then again, why care about the front rather than the center of the factory, a treasure trove."

Through careful manipulation, Madeleine secured a rope nearby Coco was the first one to lower herself down. _Wow, I'm actually here. I thought maybe I'd never get to see this place in my lifetime, but wow. Who knows what Veruca has tried to mess with here?_

Eyes were filled to the brim with history, candy making history. "Hey guys, you'll totally get a kick out of this stuff. But we need to figure out where we need to go next."

Coco and Rocky were able to make their way down with no issue, however the two were concerned with Chip being able to get down and bring the equipment.

"Hey Chippy, make sure that you don't leave too much behind up there. I don't want something to slide off because that could tip Veruca or anyone off." Rocky retorted.

"First of all, it's Chip, not _CHIPPY._ Second of all, I've got most of the stuff in my backpack. The only thing that I can't take with me is the thing that's clamped to the ceiling to keep the rope in place. If you want me to save this rope in particular, you guys are gonna have to catch me from a good 30 feet. I can pull the rope hard enough so it can detach."

Rocky wasn't too pleased, but he assumed a stance to catch Chip. However, all of a sudden, a small sized door was opened and a regular sized ladder slid toward them.

"Thanks, I guess?" Rocky stated unsurely, with a raised eyebrow and hand over his knife just in case. "Hold on Chip; coming to save you princess."

"I am not Princess Peach, thank you very much." Chip retorted with some sass back, though he slightly moaned in disbelief. _This is how we're gonna approach this mission? Well, in the face of danger I guess it's okay to laugh it at and I think I would do the same._

With ease, the youngest member was able to get down with ease thanks to Rocky's strong arms.

Madeleine and Coco were still trying to take in what they witnessed, and as Madeleine walked toward the secret door that was open, suddenly it closed loudly.

A speaker tried to make some sort of sound, but clumps of dust danced around and tried to clear itself. "Welcome children, to my new domain. Who knows, will one of you make it out alive?" A female voice with a slight shrill to it, the kind of voice that irritated the crap out of all four of the young adults.

"So Veruca, why in God's name do you want this factory so fucking badly?" Madeleine questioned, with some anger behind it. Her eyes quickly scanned the room and spotted a camera in a far corner. "Really Veruca, you have enough money in the world to do anything. Your father gave it all to you, but you didn't want your mom to be part of it at all. Quit acting like an entitled bitch and let Wonka and Charlie go. You have no business doing this crap!"

Rocky kept his hand readied with the knife just in case, ready to spring at any moment. "Don't you try to do something stupid. I swear to God I will cut you at a moment's notice."

Coco wasn't going to let the tirade of Veruca get to her; however, she was focused on the large framed poster on the wall that looked like some kind of contract. She slowly waltzed over and laid her hand on it; feeling the old, dried up ink up against the partially rotted paper. "So Veruca, I know you like to read a contract or two. Do you want us to sign a contract to your game?"

"Well, when I was here for the first time, I had to sign one. Maybe you should as well?" the speaker blared. "I won't open the door unless you four to sign that bloody contract. Everything you need to find Wonka and Charlie is in there."

With no wasted time, Madeleine grabbed a nearby quill and dipped it in ink. Unfortunately, no one could read the gibberish that was on the wall, but they knew had to sign it to move on. "The last time I worked with this was back in a high school art class." New black ink graced old, timey-looking paper and shortly Coco, Rocky, and Chip signed their fate.

/

 _They have no idea what they're in store for. This factory and Salt's are mine; no one can take it away from me. I have the power, money, and authority to do whatever I please. I want it all now._

There Veruca stood, arrogant as ever. Her father dead and everything right at her fingertips; an army of Oompa Loompas ready to go at the snap of the fingers. The reason why? Over the course of a few months when she aggressively took over the factory, she made some _policy_ changes and was able to change their minds in a particular way.

/

As soon as Chip was the last one to sign the document, two doors opened widely into a slightly narrow hallway.

"A little _Shining_ much?" Madeleine asked, with an eyebrow raised.

The four walked closer and closer, and suddenly it closed and lights immediately turned off.

It was hard enough for Chip to see without his glasses, but trying to see in the dark reminded him a part of his childhood he wasn't too fond of. "I am not the biggest fan of the dark… Come on Veruca, can't you afford to pay a power bill or something?!"

Larger doors opened up and a bright beam of light temporarily blinded them all.

They were greeted with a sight filled with pleasure and horror. What was supposed to look like a place of wonder and delight, was covered in dust, rot, and an awful smell, like something has gone sour. A brownish river sloshed around metal beams and guardrails; toadstools were covered with cobwebs and apple trees were littered by spiders.

"That's another thing I hate, spiders." Chip moaned in disgust.

However, Coco was more upset by the appearance of this room. "When I talked to Augustus, he described to me something straight out of a child's imagination. A candy room where everything is edible, the toadstools with whipped cream, candy apples that tasted like a cotton candy. I just can't believe someone like Veruca would leave this all to shambles, but enough to make sure nothing got to the precious chocolate river."

The four precariously made their way down the stairs to the once-grand candy room. "Augustus told me something that was profound that Wonka mentioned _years_ ago when they were here. Hold your breath, make a wish, count to three." _I wish for Wonka and Charlie to be back and stop this madness._

Loosened staircases moaned and creaked, tiles on the floor were cracked and more bugs scattered across.

Veruca's voice echoed once again. "Welcome to the Candy Room, where the main attraction is the Chocolate river. If you want to get out of here and into the next room, someone will have to volunteer themselves to a small game."

"Seriously? Veruca, where do you get your inspiration for shit like this? What, _Saw_ now? Are you gonna come out on a little red tricycle?" Chip slyly asked, he had his fists clenched, ready to throw down.

Multiple small doors suddenly opened loudly and something orange-reddish did pop out of them. They looked human-like, with a slight waddle to them and their outfits looking like something a clown would wear. However, their eyes had a haze over them, almost as if they had no real focus and just knew how to breathe.

"These things here are called Oompa Loompas, however they aren't acting like their regular selves. When Wonka saved them, they had their own will and ambitions. I've stripped them of it; now they're my minions and do any bidding I request. I better make sure that they get their regular dosage."

"Dosage of what?!" Rocky asked, horrified to see something so human-like turned into mindless, zombie-esque slaves.

The small creatures went back to the doors they came out of and grabbed multiple syringes that had a dark-blue, almost black liquid and they injected themselves with it.

Coco's spine tingled in fear, she couldn't look at them. "Ugh, I can't even handle getting my blood drawn; I am not the biggest fan of needles."

"This is to make sure that they fall in line with my demands whenever I ask them to." Veruca stated coldly.

As soon as the Oompa Loompas finished injecting themselves, their behavior quickly changed. At first, they looked somewhat docile, but quickly changed into teeth gnashing and snarls heard underneath their breath. Blue veins pulsed and could be seen against their orange skin. Slowly, they crept closer to Madeleine and the others until a sonic frequency made them stop altogether.

"So, what kind of game do you want us to play?" Rocky sternly questioned, his knife gleamed with intent to defend.

"The game is simple. Each of you will have to contend with a room in the factory. I will let you know what must be done in order to get out, but I will only tell you when one person volunteers. Once you get through four specific rooms in the factory, your prize will await you."

Rocky felt chagrined, but he knew he had to be the one to make his first mark. "I'll volunteer."

The others looked in shock, primarily Madeleine where she even looked infuriated. "Rocky, what the hell?! We're supposed to work as a team."

"Don't worry about me, I'm physically strong enough to get through most things."

"Even then, I don't want you to…" Madeleine was cut amidst by Veruca's demands. "Rocky Anker, you seem like a strong man. Willing to go through most of anything, but are you strong enough to swim in a chocolate river to grab a key at the bottom?"

He quickly threw his gear to Chip, laid his knife down carefully, and took his shirt off. "Last summer I had to deal with some swampy water with my uncle, so this should be a breeze. Chip, can you grab my goggles?"

"Sure, just be careful down there. Hopefully, she hasn't tried to put something down there. Oh gosh… what if there's some kind of candy-themed horror creature?"

"Chip, Veruca might be out of her goddamn mind, but I doubt she has some kind of _Jaws_ creature down there."

The elastic band from the swim googles snapped loudly on Rocky's head and he was ready for the dive. Thankfully the orange men didn't crouch around Rocky so that he could perfectly dive in there.

 _Alrightly, I know I can hold my breath for a few minutes but hopefully finding the key won't take too long._

What seemed like seconds for Rocky being underneath the water, felt like an eternity for Madeleine. She was worried about his safety but when she tried to go by the river, the Oompa Loompas imposed themselves and snarled right at her.

"Jeez, I've dealt with less pissy cats than these things." Madeleine recoiled, slowly backing away. She wanted to dive in and help Rocky too, but who knew what Veruca could've done if she interfered.

A few more moments went on by and Rocky had yet to surface from the destitute-looking river. _Come on, I know it has to be here somewhere. Where the fuck would a key be put? I hope it's not a black one, maybe gold would be nice._ As he turned his head, he noticed something glimmering in the distance. _Jackpot baby; come to papa now._

Rocky kicked his legs as hard as he could, the key was up some kind of pipe. "Guys, I FOUND IT!"

"You should've spotted it from the beginning. That was way too slow to my liking." Veruca rudely blurted out, but suddenly two metal grates slide over the top and bottom just right where Rocky got the key. A whirring sound slowly started up, gears rotating and puffs of smoke trying to escape whatever contraption it was trapped inside.

"ROCKY!" Madeleine shrieked, she wanted to move but the Oompa Loompas stood in her way. "GOD DAMN IT THESE FUCKERS!"

Chocolate water rushed through the pipe and threw Rocky completely off guard, even when he tried to get the top metal grate he could barely breathe. Body limbs thrashed about and he banged against the glass pipe to no avail. The look on his face was terror. _Shit, I have to do something before I drown._ He tried to calm himself down, trying to see if maybe his fist pounding did something to the pipe. There was a slight crack nearby where the pipe met up to a metal casing where there was some slight rusting. He kept on punching it as hard as he could, slowly the crack fracturing into more cracks however all of his strength was gone. His will drowned out; he knew he wasn't going to make it.

 _I am sorry for what I'm going to have to do._ Madeleine quickly thought that to herself and she lunged her body forward, kicking away one of the Oompa Loompas.

"Madeleine, what on earth are you doing?!" Coco yelled angrily. She wanted to restrain the feisty blonde, but she had so much fire in her eyes nothing could quench it.

With haste, Madeleine was able to pry one of the handrails by pulling it incredibly hard. She ran as fast as her legs would allow her to where Rocky was limp in the pipe. "Rocky, I'm not gonna let you drown like this. No way in hell!"

She raised the metal like a baseball player and whacked the pipe so hard with so much force, glass shattered and a huge force of the water erupted throwing the lifeless man powerfully against the ground. His eyes were closed and his chest wasn't rising and falling like it should've. "Oh god, oh god! I hope my high school lessons about CPR will do something here."

Madeleine carefully removed the swim goggles and laid Rocky flat on his back. She promptly started performing CPR on him as Coco and Chip ran over to the two.

Counts of one, two, and three left Madeleine's voice with heavy concern and trying to fight back any tears. _Come on, come on. Rocky, please. You have got to make this._ Her fists kept on pressing against his chest and periodically did mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Chip wrung his hands and couldn't fathom seeing one of his friends dying right in front of him; Coco was on the verge of a breakdown, but while her face didn't show emotion, internally she was shrieking. However, she was able to grab a towel from her bag to make sure Rocky wouldn't get some kind of hypothermia.

Suddenly and with such velocity, Rocky rolled to his side to cough up any of the remaining fluids left in his lungs. Brown water dirtied the green grass; the Oompa Loompas precariously tiptoed over to look at the beaten man. They turned their faces with a slight curious look to them, however a buzzer sound went off in the background for them to return to the doors they came through.

"Well, well Rocky. You managed to get through this challenge by the skin of your teeth. It was because of your pitiful friends you were able to get out, but I won't punish you three. Not yet anyways, I did say that _one_ person had to volunteer for the main game, but however the rest of you decide to play, I will not hold it against you." Veruca's voice still had that pompous shrill to it, showcasing her arrogance.

A metal shutter from the ceiling opened up and right behind it was a sour-faced woman behind the control center. She looked at them, as if they were below dirt with her arms crossed and a sneer expression. She leaned over to press a button. "You managed to get through the candy room, but what will await you in the inventing room?"

Chip looked at the vile woman in disgust. "You wretch! We will win this, and whatever damage you have caused will be reversed."

The four turned their head to when they heard what sounded like some kind of steam boat. Rocky continued to lay on the ground trying to catch his breath with Madeleine consoling him. "Hey tough guy, you feeling better?'

He flashed the golden key alongside with a smile. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll be better once I actually land a punch on that bitch. Sorry, I shouldn't be angry or get myself riled up after nearly drowning." He spoke as Coco handed his shirt back.

"Thanks Coco, I don't think I want to give Veruca 'this' kind of show."

Madeleine's pale face started to blush and she tried to look away from Rocky's physique.

"Why you blushing cutie?" Rocky coyly asked Madeleine, her face turning even more and more red.

"SHUT UP!" with a pouty look on her face, but even showed a small smile. "Well, let's head on over to this 'inventing room.' Maybe she invented something that will make her shut up."

The four carefully got on the boat, operated by the zombie-esque Oompa Loompas. Never uttered a word to them, but spun the wheel into a tunnel that would lead into a room of torture.

/

"I cannot wait for the next person who decides to take the next challenge. Violet, I hope you gave them the best advice possible because their luck might just run out."

* * *

 **OH MAN! A lot of good things have happened in this chapter and I thought I would like to breakdown a few things.**

 **If some of you guys happen to remember from the original movie, the Colt .45 was a reference that Mikey really wanted that gun, but his father said, "Not till your 12 son." Now, I'm not gonna let a 12 year old play with a gun like that which is why he would use when he turned 18 under the right supervision.**

 **Violet's dad is more than just a car salesman and I think after the events, more so from the original, he would change his tune with things. He can genuinely care as a father and it took something to break down that facade.**

 **Now, it wouldn't be a Roald Dahl-ish fanfic without some kind of illogical, nonsensical way of how Madeleine and the others break into the factory. However, I did like the nod I gave to Chip about him being a princess and throwing Princess Peach in there just seemed fitting. Overall, I kinda like how Chip and Madeleine try to guess where Veruca gets her inspiration for certain things. I'll probably make ONE more kind of reference like that from one of my favorite video games, but I won't spoil it for now.**

 **For the Oompa Loompas, I took a huge inspiration from (if you can get the chance to find it on YouTube which is AMAZING) CollegeHumor's Gobstopper fanfilm trailer where the GLORIOUS Christopher Lloyd plays as Wonka. Many of you know Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown from Back to the Future, Rasputin from Anastasia, and from my childhood favorite, The Hacker from Cyberchase. In the fanfilm trailer, you see the Oompa Loompas depicted as a monstrous creature, almost zombie-like which is something I wanted to reflect for how their behavior is. The next chapter will showcase why they are acting that way and you can probably guess how Veruca did it.**

 **Madeleine's screaming of "ROCKY!" was actually a line right from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Movie that Kimberly yells out when they're on Phaedoes fighting against the skeleton dinosaur creature.**

 **Who knew writing rich, pompous brats like Veruca would be so much fun. I know a lot of people, including myself, like to write villains but there's something so dastardly with how little Veruca cares about anyone but herself. She will be getting her just desserts, pun intended, one way or the other.**

 **As always, please R &R because I want to hear what people have to say and feedback is the greatest thing a writer could ask for! ^w^**


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